Another heart rate question.

Sorry, I know I post a lot of questions regarding heart rate. For some reason I was thinking about my last holter monitor and it has me concerned again. My cardiologist said it was fine, but he did notice that my heart rate is higher in the morning and slows as the day goes on. He said he didn't know why and that is what has me concerned. I just figured everyone has a higher heart rate in the morning because our body gets going after sleeping, but I guess not. I don't get tachy anymore, but my heart rate definitely is faster. If I check my pulse before I get up it is usually around 55. After I actually get up, it stays between 80 and 90 while getting ready. Once I get in the car it goes back down and by the time I get to work and sit at my desk for a while it is back to 55-60 and stays there for the rest of the day. Should I be worried about the higher rate in the morning, or just chalk it up to my body waking up and getting going? Like I said, this has me really concerned. I wish I could just stop worrying about my heart. I feel stupid even typing this, but for whatever reason I'm very scared about it. Let me know if I should just let this go. Thanks!

Your 80-90 is OK, but the 55-60 is unusual at work and driving a car. Are you taking medication for anxiety or a higher does of a beta blocker? It seems there should be a faster heart rate during periods of stress. I've never taken my pulse while driving, but there should be slight stress and a higher rate? Many people find some stress with their work, others may find it relaxing?!

I am not on any medication that would cause the slow heart rate. I used to have a very fast heart rate and took beta blockers, but stopped taking them when my rate slowed so much. My cardiologist can't explain it and just treats me like a hypochondriac when I see him. The ONLY time my heart rate is much over 60 is in the mornings (after I get out of bed and while getting showered, dressed, etc.) or when I exercise. My heart responds to exercise, but I have to bust my butt do get to my target of 151 (that is at 80%). I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like the walking dead with this low heart rate. It is very scary to me. I have normal bp. Some evenings while watching TV my heart rate will drop to 48 or so. I have told my cardiologist this and all he says is "stop checking your pulse". I'm just really worried over this!

Everyone's physiology is different. But I would expect you to have a higher heart rate at work and while driving, etc. Mine starts out in low-seventies, increases as I get ready (rush!) for work, drive to the train, deal with the crowds, etc. Once at work, it is around the mid-eighties, or so. Could be in the nineties. Again, all this is dependent on what I am doing, stress, if I am tired, have a headache, happy, ate lunch, am dealing with stupidty, etc. Back down to the seventies in the evening. Again, since everyone's physiology is different, it is tough to really comment on what is appropriate, and what is not. What is important, though, is how your body compensates for either a low or high heart rate.

Hi Leela, I 'spoke' to you before (I visit here because of hubby with CAD)
I'm just the same. Whether I get up at dawn or dinner, my pulse is fast. I
used to take propranalol , but this made my resting pulse even slower by the end of the day.
Don't waste thirty years worrying about this. I agree with kenkeith. We are unusual, but don't have a problem.
Sometimes after days of a really low rate, I get a tachy episode after getting in bed! Who knows what really goes on with the nervous system of 'sensitive' people like us? It doesn't really matter (honest) So we feel a little uncomfy sometimes. That really does get better, but it takes time. Months of true relaxation...not days or weeks. So what if you/I always have a dominant para-sympathetic nervous system? My hubby had text-book perfect heart-rates/blood pressure. He had NO missed or irregular heart-beats. He is younger than me. I feel so guilty for all the times I've asked him to feel my pulse...

I think alot of people heart rate changes during the day, so it should be ok if the ecg (halter hasnt shown any other irregularities! Your pulse seems abit low if anything at 55! My heart rate though changes during the day from 80 to 160, i think there are variations! If your cardiologist seems ok about it then it should be fine!

Thank you everyone for your posts. I really wish I could just put this out of my mind and stop worrying about it, but for whatever reason I can't. I hate my heart rate this slow. A year ago it was fast! My cardiologist can't explain it to me and I guess that is what worries me. He keeps saying "don't worry about it". Yeah, well he should live in my body for a day and see how much he worries about it. I'm so sick of it!!!!

~K~ Thanks again for the reassurance. I just wish there was something I could do to get my heart rate up. I'm so afraid one of these days it is just going to stop. When I have made that comment to my docs they just kind of chuckle, but not one of them has said "your heart won't stop". But I guess if it does I won't know it, so there isn't much sense in worrying about it, right?

I know that there are many people on this board with worse problems than just my slow heart rate and I feel stupid sometimes posting about it. But it scares me and I can't help that. I just don't know what to do anymore. It helps to hear stories of other people that have the same issues, but so far only one other person does. Thanks again everyone!

I can completely sympathise and relate to how your feeling! Doctors sometimes dont see how frustrating it is for the patient, and cant really relate to us! Just know that there are loads of us in the same situation as you and know how you feel! Its frustrating and annoying when doctors dont give us the full picture, and when they contradict eachother, and cant really sympathise because they dont know what its like.

Hi Leela, I really do understand, because I felt just as you do. I saw three cariologists. It was years before researching anxiety led me to the knowledge that in anxiety states, the para-sympathetic nervous system can become, and remain dominant; think of this as the para-sympathetic nervous system getting ' fed-up' of putting the brake on , during tachycardia.
It is difficult for me to explain, but just as you would learn to relax or take beta-blockers for a constantly racing heart. The answer to a brady-rate is just the same! It is difficult to find information, but many psychologists (sadly, only the good ones) have learned all about this.
Even some books on anxiety, such as those by Claire Weeks describe para-sympathetic dominance. If you had stayed in the tachy/sympathetic mode; you would not have been so worried. Para-sympathetic/brady is scary because it is less common, though not rare. Keep on being checked over, but keep anxiety in mind, because until you relax for quite some time, your pulse will be even lower. It is uncomfortable, but not dangerous.
All the best, Kim x

Leela, I also wanted to add that doctors sometimes laugh, because they know that it isn't your heart, but their expertise does not overlap into another field. I'm confident in my knowledge of the nervous system, though not allowed to say why on these forums!